Life is Gucci
Yesterday, I got inked by celebrity tattoo artist JonBoy (again). Maybe you’ve heard of him! Remember when Justin Bieber got a teeny-tiny cross right below his eye? When Kylie Jenner got matching ‘M’s with bestie Jordyn Woods? Or, maybe you’ve seen Zayn Malik’s finger lightsaber? Yep, JonBoy is the artist responsible for all those miniature masterpieces and many many more. His precision is impeccable, and his linework is flawless. No wonder he has quickly risen to fame, tattooing A-list stars. Naturally, I had to find out what all the fuss was about.
I got my first tattoo from JB about a year and a half ago and immediately fell in love with his work. He really takes his time making sure that the design is just right, the placement is aligned correctly, and that you’re comfortable throughout the whole process. His craft is carefully cultivated and it surely shows, but it doesn’t come cheap. People travel from all over the world to get inked by the best, so it may be of little surprise that booking an appointment with JonBoy takes a little bit of time and a lot a bit of money. As soon as he opens his books, his slots fill up quickly, and with a blink of the eye, they’re closed again. Most people book their appointments with him months in advance. Somehow, I keep getting lucky and only having to wait a couple weeks for my time with the expert artist.
As soon as I saw him, I was greeted with a hug. I waited while he got set up and put together my sketches. When it was time, I walked over to his station in the back corner of West 4 Tattoo. Every tattoo artist has a wall or a desk of some sort filled with pictures and nicknacks, but none compare to JB’s. He doesn’t just have a wall. He has a shrine. Filled with polaroids of celeb guests, Supreme golden bricks, neon lights, and basically the entire Gucci store, it emulates JonBoy’s personality perfectly.
After making sure the placement of the name “Zelda” (my great grandmother’s name, meaning happy and blessed) fit properly across the top of my wrist, I settled into the seat and we got right into it. JB has the lightest hand. It didn’t even feel like I had a needle pulsing in and out of my skin. We chatted about his pup, Gucci Dogg, and his latest collaboration with Koio Collective (which you should definitely check out btw) while the tattoo gun buzzed in the background. Before I knew it, the tattoo was complete, and I headed over to the Gucci wall to have it photographed for the ‘gram. I looked down at my wrist and instantly fell in love with my new ink. JB uploaded the picture to Instagram, and then we got right back to work, fixing a tattoo fail (originally done by somebody else). Again, the pain was minimal and the process was effortless.
After photographing the second tattoo and uploading that picture to Instagram, JB and I decided to take a cute picture together. Let me tell you...that was an event. He took his time outfitting himself in a Gucci bomber, decorating his fingers with Gucci rings (he’s obsessed with Gucci if you haven’t already figured that out), and practiced his poses in the mirror. Of course he wanted to make sure everything was picture perfect.
He handed me a little golden package full of aftercare necessities and instructions, and wrapped my tattoos. A million new tattoo ideas were already swarming my mind. Obviously, I’ll be visiting JonBoy again to get them. The tattoos that I have gotten between the time of my first tattoo with JB and my new one, just simply don’t compare. He’s not just an expert tattoo artist, he’s a great guy, an instant friend, someone that I will be visiting often. If you have the opportunity to get inked by JonBoy, or even just to meet him, consider yourself lucky. I know I do.
If you venture out to get a new tattoo, maybe even your first, keep a couple fashion tips in mind. Wear something that's comfortable! You never know what kind of weird position your artist might put you in to be able to get the right angle. Also, keep the location of your tattoo in mind. Don't wear long sleeves if you're planning on getting a bicep tattoo, or long pants if you're getting a thigh tattoo. I opted for this simple tube top, and tuxedo pants: super comfy and exposing the areas of my tattoos.
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Life is Gucci,
Zoey Leigh